Gone for Eight Hundred Turns, thread once again rains from the sky. A Pern decimated by the onslaught looks toward a hidden savior. The last of dragonkind and their riders emerge from a deep slumber. With AIVAS and the Unfrozen Riders, the future of Pern is uncertain.

Ester

Many, many layers of paint were on the Weyrwoman's face. Ariaceli normally didn't wear too much makeup. Paint on the lips and a little shine to the eyes, maybe, if she felt like expending the energy. It was a luxury of time she couldn't often afford, except when meeting with those who didn't have day-to-day interactions with her. Tonight, eighteen candlemarks and counting after the end of the hatching, she'd opted to spend some applying makeup and time to her face. She wasn't the focus of the feast and she didn't want to be. She was simply the initiator, the speech-maker for the night to kick the festivities off. The true focus would be all the Weyrlings who could attend, although Ariaceli hoped the healers would even clear the few now-weyrlings who had been injured by the hatching dragonets bar those who absolutely couldn't attend at all for obvious reasons. She didn't want them to miss the feast. It was in all their honor, after all. Even if Ariaceli knew that she wasn't the one everyone would be paying attention to, she couldn't help the little bit of desire in her to dress up for the occasion, and she hadn't tried to stop herself. She didn't want to steal the spotlight, and she would make sure she didn't, but it wasn't often that she got to ear something fancy and fun. Most of her clothing was either for riding, and therefore hideously practical, or professional and more somber and concealing than she'd like. The deep crimson masterpiece she'd laid out over her bed was neither professional for practical, and it certainly wasn't concealing in the slightest. Its entire purpose was to show off her figure and lots of skin, and Ariaceli was quite excited to get a chance to wear it. She had twenty minutes until the hatching feast was suppose dto start. The large circles under her eyes and sallow skin that came from a lack of sleep had been concealed, and Ariaceli was putting the finishing touches on her hair. A pin here, a spray there of water to set a curl, and then she was done. Are you nearly ready? Being late, no matter how tired you are, will not make a good impression on our newest members, nor the guests who have come from the nearby isles. Ariaceli looked over at where her dragon was lounging, the gold's eyes on her. Mallitorioth had managed to get some sleep, and Ariaceli intended to steal some of that energy if she could to keep the night young once the dancing started. "I just have to squeeze into the dress and I'm ready. We'll be there on time." There was no one to help Ariaceli dress, and therefore it took her a little longer than she had anticipated, but soon enough she was properly dressed and had slipped into shoes that complimented her dress but also were incredibly practical. No matter how tired she was, Ariaceli intended to dance at this feast. A small chance to relax and let go was needed by all. With that, The Weyrwoman and her dragon left their rooms and started down the hall.

The walls of the meeting hall were moveable and had been pushed back to open the space up completely. The consoles had been moved and hidden, and the entire space had been transformed. There would be plenty of space for dragons, Weyrlings, and humans alike to mingle and dine, as well as the massive floor space designated for dancing and stage that had been erected for harpers. Two massive tables, and a third smaller one, were placed by the entrance of the hall. The smallest table had space for four or five humans to sit at, although tonight there would only be two to occupy it. It was there that Ariaceli took her seat, and Mallitorioth moved of to the far wall before settling herself down. The long tables were positioned across the entire hall, so that the most space was left for dragons and dancing. Cushions sat in piles along the side of the walls in many different colors and sizes so that any newly hatched dragonet could sit with their rider in comfort. It wouldn't have been accurate to say that their bonds were still forming. They were formed and strong, but Ariaceli remembered her desire to never move far away from Mallitorioth in the beginning. The bond was there, but knowing the little things, that came over time. Born again in impression, and redefining yourself and your new life. That was what this time was about. That desperate need for physical contact was there and so the dragonets would be seated with their new riders, and bowls of raw were also placed at intervals along the tables so that the dragonets could also eat their fill tonight. The lights had been dimmed and fabric draped artfully across the walls, deep purples, reds, yellows and oranges, candles scented with the aroma of fruit flickered merrily across the tabletops, interspersing the massive amounts of food and jugs of wine, brandy, beer, klah, juices, and everything else. It was, in one sense, a waste. Not everything could possibly have been eaten that night, but in many ways than one, it was a necessity. The hope, the need to reassure, was large in all the riders and those who command forces at Wherry Island. This feast would do that, and with a sigh, Ariaceli folded her hands in her lap. As tired as she was, the excitement from the hatching itself had only ebbed slightly. The sheer exhaustion kept her from being her usual bouncy and chipper self, but the smile on her face was genuine and Mallitorioth's presence nearby made her content. This night marked the start in a new chapter in the lives of so many, possibly more than would sit at these tables tonight. With the odd things seen at the hatching, there was no telling at all what these hatchlings and their riders would be capable of. They were starting to arrive now. Not just Weyrlings, but everyone from the compound and many from Wherry Island as well.

The grand clock, analogue and not digital for once, presided over the other end of the hall, but its face was large enough to be seen even by Ariaceli where she sat way on the other side. She was waiting even a bit beyond the mark for the time everyone would have been told the hatching feast starts. Across the hall somewhat she caught sight of the very distinctive hair and profile of their Weyrling Master. Ael'thyristin. The man looked as tired as Ariaceli felt, and when she caught his eye, he grimaced at her before taking a seat. He was wearing quite long sleeves and gloves that went all the way up his arm as well, a sure sign that he actually intended to take part in the festivities of the night. He actually intended to dance with people. Ariaceli's smile twitched and she had to stifle a small laugh, just in case it turned into a yawn and someone saw. If the hideously uptight Ael'thyristin was willing to let loose tonight, even a little bit, then maybe the extravagance would be worth it after all. Ael'thyristin sat down close to the other side of the hall, by the wall where the dragons were lounging. His dragon was there as well, and Ariaceli knew that no matter how odd the man was, he would create stupendous riders out of their newest bunch of dragonets and Weyrlings. Maybe his plan was to get to know them tonight. She didn't know, but either way, she figured she might try and sneak in a bit of dancing with him as well. He was graceful, and dancing seemed like something he might be pretty good at. Ariaceli glanced down at her glass, and then reached forward and poured herself a small glass of Klah, which she downed quickly before switching to wine. She let that glass sit untouched for the moment as she rose to her feet, smiling at the growing crowd around her. She hadn't spoken up yet, and she had no desire to until everyone settled down of their own accord. She didn't have the energy to raise her voice enough to be heard over the clamor. Ariaceli's voice could carry normally, and she had no problem speaking strongly, but at the moment, shouting for attention just was not in her. She felt Mallitorioth, who had been chatting with the other dragons, turn her attention to Ariaceli as well, and she knew that if people didn't quiet down, Mal would take care of them for her. Her nap had revived the gold dragon, and Ariaceli desperately wished she'd managed some sleep somewhere in her day somewhere. No point wishing now. As silence started, close by for now but spreading slowly, Ariaceli raised her hands and clapped once for everyone's attention, the sound reverberating through the room. Speech, eat, drink, dance, sleep. She could manage that. At least she didn't have a terror of public speaking.

Ariaceli had been pacing up and down, but that had grown very tiring after a while, and she'd finally sat down heavily on one of the chairs that were placed around the back of the room. The room was brighter than it had been only a few candlemarks earlier when it had been empty and only the voice of AIVAS had filled the room, but not by much. The heavy scent of Klah filled the room, and Ariaceli held a heavy mug of the thick liquid in her hands, a shield against the dark circles that were forming under her eyes from lack of sleep. On the large screen across the room, AIVAS was playing a rotating selection of images from the hatching. Mostly, Ariaceli was silent, but every so often she'd voice a quiet command. It was only she who occupied the room, and AIVAS was quick to fulfill her requests. "Zoom in again, please. On the image labeled F-2, if you could." With a quick motion, the image F-2 zoomed in, filling up the screen. "Focus on the headknobs?" The image zoomed in again, and Ariaceli leaned forward slightly, the steam from her mug of klah tickling her chin as she rested her elbows on her knees and peered at the large image from the back of the room. Being closer wouldn't have shown her anything else that she couldn't already see, and all the images did for her was confirm what she already knew. Something strange had happened to the eggs, and possibly to the dragons who had already hatched as well. None of them had rose yet, although a few greens were showing more promise than they had, and Ariaceli hoped that AIVAS' prediction that they were experiencing some need for a recovery period after their long freeze was correct. The male dragons didn't seem to be bothered by the lack of females rising, so for now they would wait and hope. There was nothing they could do, but about these eggs, perhaps there... well, nothing could be done now, of course, but maybe something could be learned.

Mal? Does Evonoth know when V'nin is going to get here? It was a few moments before her dragon, who had mostly been half-asleep in their rooms, answered her. I don't know. I told Evonoth that you wished to speak to V'nin, but I am not going to pester him about it. I am sure he told his rider that you wished to speak to him, and that he will be there as soon as possible. The voice of her dragon faded from her mind, and Ariaceli rubbed at her eyes before taking another sip of her klah. The liquid helped, but what the Weyrwoman really wanted was a good eight or possibly twelve candlemarks of sleep. She wasn't going to get it, so klah was going to have to be a substitute for a little while longer. It was four candlemarks, give or take, after the conclusion of the hatching, and Ariaceli had yet to catch her second wind. It would show up soon enough, she hoped, and in the meantime, she returned to having AIVAS flash images across the screen. She'd already asked the machine if everything had been catalogued correctly, and if it knew of anything at all like this. Of course, the answers were "yes" and "no", respectively, although admittedly with some more of the machine's legendary wit. Ariaceli couldn't really summon the energy for wit at the moment, and she would have to somehow find it in herself to create a rousing speech. She did smile slightly at the memory of the new Weyrlings and their dragonets. They were all hopefully asleep, tucked up tight with their new bondeds. Snuggling with their other halves that had been missing from their lives for so incredibly long. A few candidates had remained on the sands too, but Ariaceli knew from very personal experience that that meant nothing. There would be other clutches. More eggs from AIVAS and hopefully a clutch from Mallitorioth sooner or later.

Are you sure he knows?If you ask me again, I will be quite upset. It is not my fault you refuse to sleep. You do not need to be worrying yourself so. I said they were powerful, and I did not lie. We only lost one, who was dead in their shell. They never had a other half, and so there is no real sadness to mourn. They will still look weird tomorrow, after you've slept. And bothering poor Evonoth's rider too. You'll be the cause of your own death, Ariaceli. The gold dragon's voice held just a tinge of annoyance that had quickly faded into something like worry before she fell silent again, and this time Ariaceli let it be. Her dragon was right, but at the same time, she wasn't sure she could sleep. It was mystery upon strangeness, and how was she supposed to get any rest if she couldn't understand why all of her new Weyrlings were so incredibly... odd. Would any of the dragons who hatched be viable? Would they be able to reproduce as they were so desperately needed to do? It would be a long time, two turns at the least, until anyone knew, and even then, if they did, what would happen? Ariaceli sighed again and leaned back, tipping the mug all the way back so she could swallow the last goopy ends of her klah before she got back up out of her chair with a groan and went to the pot that sat steaming in the corner. Another mug was poured, and the Weyrwoman didn't even bother to wait for it to cool or to blow on the top, instead she took a great swig of it and grimaced. "Oooh, that burns a lot." It was a mutter, but even when she was quiet in this room, AIVAS could hear her. "I fear that is not the best course of action, Weyrwoman. Would you prefer I turn the heat down on the pot?" Ariaceli shook her head and took another gulp. "No, no, thank you, AIVAS. It's somehow more invigorating when it scalds the skin off the inside of your mouth." Maybe she had just enough energy left for some wit after all.

InformationGeneral*Sea whers are giant predators that encircle the Island and the ocean between it and the mainland, though few from the mainland ever saw these behemoth sea-dwelling creatures. They were originally intended to help serve as guardians of the Island and make sure its secrets were never discovered, but in the time after their creation they were pretty much set free and forgotten about. They now exist as the main predators around the Island and can cause a lot of problems for anyone still trying to reach the Island. Also, due to sea whers laying their eggs on land and being highly territorial, they will attack anything and everything that disturbs their clutching sands and coves, which doesn't bode well for human expansion to the other islands.

Anatomy*Sea whers were genetically bred and altered from natural whers to be ocean-dwelling protectors of the Island, a sort of first and last defense against any enemies. Created to be larger and live off land, there are many distinct differences to their land bound cousins including :

- Much larger than normal whers, middle ranked Sea Whers can be the size of large dragons, while Abyssals can grow to be absolutely enormous behemoths. While this is fine in the water, the larger the sea-wher the harder they find it to be on land.- Longer torsos and much larger chests with a massive lung capacity. This lung capacity allows them to dive for periods of a half hour to an hour with no issue. Some sea-whers can even stand to be underwater for even greater periods of time.-Shorter legs with webbed toes.- Slightly larger wings with wide wing-sail 'webs' to propel them through the water more easily.- Thicker tails with larger, flatter, paddle-like tail forks.

Life Cycle*Sea whers live in large packs, usually related to one another, though younger individuals will break off and form their own packs. These packs each have their own territory, a swath of open water as well as an area of beach or cove in which they clutch and hatch their eggs, which they are violently territorial over, especially during periods of clutching. *Females lead most packs, though there are a few rare bachelor packs that may try and court a female led pack during mating periods. Bachelor packs usually do not have a territory involving land.*Sea whers spend almost their entire lives in the water except for when they clutch. When it is time to clutch, the female and her mate(s) will retreat to their territorial land, with the rest of the pack often staying nearby offshore, hunting and protecting the clutchers. Hatchlings break egg a short while later, spend about a month on land, then return to the sea with their sires and dams for training and growth. This is the most vulnerable time for any pack, and hatchlings are extremely guarded over. It is during this time opposing packs may also strike to try and take territory or steal hatchlings.*Most packs stay together, but after reaching adulthood it is not unusual for younger sea-whers to break off, or even be driven off if the pack is too large or hunting not plentiful enough. These individuals must then find their own territory, either by being accepted into another pack, attacking another pack for territory, or taking over territory further out.

Diet and Hunting

*Sea whers subsist almost entirely on ocean dwelling prey, including deep sea fish and crustaceans. However they can and will attack boats in their territory and may also strike from the surf if there is prey close enough to the sea, especially when they are clutching or protecting a clutch.*Packs most often hunt in groups, with smaller, faster individuals herding prey towards the larger pack members, similar to orca whales or wolves on earth. However individuals or pairs may also go on hunting trips of their own.*Surf-striking is a technique employed often by sea whers when closer to beaches. They will get as close as they can to any prey on land and in one swift move will lunge forward before dragging their prey back into the water, drowning and then eating them.

Intelligence and Social Interactions

*Sea whers have a similar intelligence to land whers, and were originally meant to be communicative partners to the Island humans, but over the turns have lost their ability to speak with humans. There is some speculation that they may be able to regain this ability, or at least speak with dragons in the future, but so far no evidence of this has actually surfaced. There is no indication to this point that sea whers view dragons as anything but another predator, and humans as anything but particularly viscous prey.*Very social within their packs, Sea Whers can spend their entire lives with one pack and form very deep bonds within those packs. Kin will often keep in contact, even when separated and these whers will recognize siblings and parents. *Mates will often pair up the entire length of time from mating to clutching and even after, and it is not unheard of for sea whers to form permanent bonds with certain other whers. It is also not unheard of for siblings or other pairs, or even trios, to form close relationships and stay together through their entire lives.*Packs have very little interaction with one another and relations between them can very often become violent, with the extremely territorial nature of the sea whers coming into play. At the very least a sea wher caught enroaching on another territory will be driven out violently, and deaths are not unheard of. Some packs may also attack others for territory and one or even both packs can be devastated and destroyed in the attack.*All females except Abyssals will clutch once a Turn, and their clutches are far smaller than their land bound kin. Young will often stay close to their dams and sires for at least their first turn of life, and though the entire pack protects and cares for their young, it is the duty of the parents to ensure they are being cared for.